Buhari To Attend G7 Summit

President Muhammadu Buhari is to attend this
weekend’s G7 summit in Germany in his first
major international meeting as Nigerian
president. “The President has accepted the
invitation to attend the G7 summit. He’s expected
to depart Nigeria on Sunday for the summit. It’s
going to be a two-day trip,” his spokesman,
Shehu Garba said.
Buhari, 72, became president of Africa’s most
populous nation, top economy and leading oil
producer last Friday, taking over from Goodluck
Jonathan whom he beat in elections in March.
His office said on Saturday that Britain’s foreign
minister Philip Hammond told Buhari at a meeting
in Abuja on Friday that Prime Minister David
Cameron urged him to come to the summit with a “wish list”.
Nigeria is facing a long list of challenges, not
least the fight against Boko Haram Islamists, a
crippling power deficit, infrastructure problems,
corruption and poor governance. Buhari met
Cameron for private talks in London the week
before his inauguration, where the British leader
pledged help in a number of areas such as
fighting extremism and African migration.
Cameron also sought Buhari’s backing for “free
trade” between the European Union and Africa, a
suggestion which had the support of a number of
countries, the president’s office said in a
statement.